Y2K Solved - European Countries

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Y2K status reports on European countries

LONDON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Below is a country-by-country breakdown on preparations by European nations to deal with millennium bug problems in the key areas of electricity, telecommunications, water distribution and aviation.

--ALBANIA

Electricity: The state-owned KESH utility said its production, transmission and distribution systems were not computerised and consequently would not be affected. Its billing operations might only suffer in part because the Swiss donors had upgraded the systems, said Leon Kona, a specialist of information systems.

Telecoms: Dhimitraq Rafti, the general manager of ALBTELECOM, the fixed-phone monopoly, said it had upgraded its software and its Siemens and Alcatel equipment was now compliant with the year 2000 transition. Albanian Mobile Communications, which operates a GSM network bought by France's Alcatel in 1996, is compliant, said technical department chief Niko Terezi.

Water: Throughout the country, aqueducts will not be affected because their systems are not computerised. The Bovilla aqueduct which supplies the capital Tirana is compliant, Italy's Consorzio Putignano said.

Aviation: Rinas Airport Authority Albtransport said landing and take-off at Rinas took place visually and the lighting system at night was not operated by computers. Its booking and check-in systems were compliant because were the extensions of systems in Western Europe, Swissair being its main user, services chief Vangjel Nikolla said. Its air space was controlled by a system of SITA (Societe Internationelle de Telecommunications Aerienne).

--AUSTRIA

Electricity: National grid Verbund said its 76 power stations, 43 transformer stations and 3,600 km of transmission lines were all compliant following four years of intensive preparations.

As a ``better safe than sorry'' precaution, Verbund has doubled the reserve capacity at its storage power plants.

Telecoms: Rudolf Fischer, board member of the country's largest telecommunications operator Telekom Austria, said tests on its fixed-line networks as well as its mobile phone subsidiary mobilkom proved it was millennium bug proof.

Aviation: Austrian Airlines Group spokesman Johannes Davoras said the flag-carrier had completed its millennium compliance project at a cost of more than $6 million and anticipated no impact on its operations from the date change.

The group, which includes Tyrolean Airways and 35.9 percent of Lauda Air , ran a test flight in October with the on-board clock set at eight minutes before midnight on December 31 and landed 32 minutes later without incident.

Flughafen Wien , operator of Vienna International Airport which serves as a hub for central and eastern Europe, said it was fully prepared for the transition and had contingency plans in case of any remaining minimal risk.

--BELGIUM

Electricity and Water: Electrabel spokesman Patrick de Vos says: ``Of course we are ready. We are fully compliant. The main objects we identified that needed changing were in the generation and transmission business, with very few in the distribution. We are confident.''

Telecoms: Belgacom [BGC.CN] spokeswoman Liane Verhoeven says: ``Belgacom is ready and confident everything is going to go well. Obviously we depend on suppliers and third parties, for instance if the electricity went down...but everything should go according to plan.''

Aviation: Airport operator BIAC spokesman Jan van der Cruysse says: ``We are very ready indeed...We are now in a position where we can state that normally we do not expect any important consequences of Y2K.''

--BOSNIA

Electricity; Power boards in both of the country's autonomous entities -- the Moslem-Croat federation and the Serb republic -- said tests showed that date-sensitive information should not affect systems for control and management of power distribution. Sophisticated business information systems passed the Y2K tests, they added.

However, the Serb republic could expect temporary difficulties in case of Y2K-related mishaps in Yugoslavia, as its power system relies heavily on the neighbouring country. ``However, we have worked out emergency plans,'' Dragan Andjelic, exploitation and development sector head of the Bosnian Serb power board Elektroprivreda RS, told Reuters.

Telecoms: State telecommunications companies in both entities said new mobile networks -- installed by Sweden's Ericsson in the federation and Germany's Siemens in the Serb republic -- are Y2K compliant, as are most fixed networks. Parts of the fixed networks with older equipment will try to avert the problem by turning back the clock on computer processors by several years.

Water: Locally-run water companies throughout the country mostly do not expect the millennium bug to affect distribution as they are still using non-automated equipment, state Y2K commission member Adnan Hadrovic told Reuters.

Aviation: The NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) which controls air traffic at Bosnia's four international airports did not expect any Y2K-related problems as the newly-installed equipment is bug-free, SFOR spokesman Major Jacques Poitras told Reuters.

--BRITAIN

Electricity/Water: Action 200, Britain's millennium bug watchdog, gave the all clear to key services including police, fire, electricity, gas and water in its latest report.

All 25 critical sectors of the UK infrastructure earned Action 2000's ``blue'' code -- indicating no risk of ``material disruption to the infrastructure is identified.'' The entire exercise has cost more than $32 billion).

Telecoms: Britain's public sector audit bodies -- the National Audit Office and Audit Commission -- have declared the risk of bug-related failures in the telecoms industry is low.

Britain's biggest telecoms company, BT (quote from Yahoo! UK & Ireland: BT.L), said it was ``cautiously optimistic.''

``We feel that we have done all that we possibly could to ensure there will be no foreseeable problems. But only time will tell,'' a spokesman said.

``If problems arise, we think we have got in place mechanisms for dealing with them with minimum disruption to customers.''

Aviation: The Civil Aviation Authority says an independent survey has found the aviation industry, including air traffic control, is ready to provide a ``business as usual'' service.

--BULGARIA

Bulgaria will be a monitoring centre which will gather data on any Y2K disruptions from 27 countries in eastern Europe, Russia and central Asia and pass them on to the main centre in Washington.

Electricity: This year Bulgaria launched a new, millennium-compliant electric power control system at its National Dispatching Centre, supplied by the Swiss-based Telegyr Systems.

``We are prepared to react to any emergencies,'' State Administration Minister Mario Tagarinski said.

The Kozloduy nuclear plant which provides up to a half of the country's electricity was also confident.

``We have been preparing to tackle the millennium bug for the last two years and we do not expect any problems or safety risks. The staff has been trained and an emergency plan worked out. Additional back-up teams have been set up,'' said spokeswoman Krassimira Shkodrova.

Telecoms: ``Everything that depends on us has been done 100 percent,'' said Bulgarian Telecommunications Company spokesman Valentin Kolev. Backup systems including generators had been put in place, he said. ``In order to avoid human error, we have doubled the teams on duty.''

Water: Plamen Nikiforov, in charge of water supplies and resources at the Construction Ministry, said control of water supply and sewerage was not computerised and there was no problem for them.

Aviation: An official at Sofia airport said that it would be closed from 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) on December 31 to 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) on January 2.

``We are not closing the airport because of the millennium bug; it is a tradition to close it on New Year,'' he said, adding that the airport would be ready to accept emergency flights.

A spokeswoman of the Air Control Service told Reuters: ``All equipment is millennium-compliant and has undergone all necessary tests. Air controllers who will be on duty during the New Year night will be selected from the most experienced.''

--CROATIA

Electricity: ``We have undertaken all necessary measures and have a troubleshooting team ready. As regards the most important segment, the distribution of electricity, we do not expect any problems caused by the millennium bug,'' said Darko Alfirev, spokesman for state power board Hrvatska Elektroprivreda.

Telecoms: ``Hrvatske Telekomunikacije has prepared Croatia's telecommunications for the 2000 problem, we have undertaken all measures. HT has solved the millennium problem in all switchboards in the network, modernising the commutation system and raising the functionality of the equipment. So some things were ready several months ago, while some final testing is still being done, but we do not expect millennium-related problems,'' said Milena Supe of HT's public relations department.

Water: Vlado Jurasic, general manager of water board Hrvatska Vodoprivreda: ``In the next few days we shall complete the change of our computer systems. We are well prepared and do not expect any problems.''

Aviation: Croatia Airlines says all preparations have been made to avoid any risk. ``We even plan to fly in the night of December 31, the first (New Year) flight lands after midnight,'' spokeswoman Ksenija Zlof told Reuters.

--CYPRUS

Electricity: Cyprus's power grid is fully Y2K compliant, with work on modifying non-compliant software having started in 1997. ``We have carried out tests ourselves this year and so have foreign consultants who reaffirmed our compatibility,'' said Electricity Authority spokesman Tassos Roussos.

Telecoms: Cyprus Telecoms Authority Y2K project manager Kleanthis Soleas says the telephone network is fully compliant and has passed several tests, the latest in November. The authority checked more than 230 different types of hardware and software, upgraded two international exchanges and revamped a ship-to-shore frequency.

Water: No problems are expected. Water officials say the supply network runs on electricity, and have assurances that there will be no interruptions in supply.

Aviation: All radar, communication, flight management, navigational and approach aids are Y2K compliant, according to a Civil Aviation Department report. Three major compatibility drills have been held this year. Nicosia Flight Information Region, maintained by civil aviation, covers a large expanse of the east Mediterranean region.

In each case, extra staff will be on standby to deal with any problems, as well as a government crisis management centre.

--CZECH REPUBLIC

Electricity: Power utility CEZ said on its Internet site that it completed Y2K compliance testing on all plants, including the only operating nuclear plant at Dukovany.

Telecoms: The Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU) said on Monday it had received assurances of Y2K compliance from the country's three telephone operators -- mobile and fixed-line.

However, CTU's Information Technology Director Eva Bubnova told Reuters there could be an overload on the mobile phone networks in the first minutes of January 1, which providers were attempting to avoid by adding capacity in selected areas.

Water: The head dispatcher of Prague regional water utility, Praske Vodovy a Kanalizace, Jaroslava Kanak, told Reuters the company successfully tested for Y2K and expected no disruptions.

Aviation: State airport authority Ceska Sprava Letist and national air carrier Czech Airlines both said on their Internet sites that all systems had been tested successfully, including air traffic control and ground operations.

--DENMARK

Electricity: Association for Danish Energy Companies director Kresten Hjernoe said: ``We are ready, no problems. Never before have Danish electricity companies conducted such a thorough check of computer systems. All power stations have reported back Y2K compliant.''

Telecoms: Main carrier Tele Danmark Y2K director Jens Riis Andersen says: ``After a major four-year process of updating, replacing, adjusting and testing we can say that Tele Denmark's entire infrastructure is ready for Y2K.''

Water: Danish Water Supply Association director Anders Baekgaard says: ``We are as sure as anyone one ever can be that all Denmark's key waterworks are Y2K compliant. We do not know about small non-member plants, but they should be all right provided there are no electricity cuts.''

Aviation: Danish Civil Aviation Administration information chief Thorbjoern Ancher says: ``All Danish air space facilities and air traffic control systems and services have been checked and found okay for the new millennium. Airports throughout the country have all reported Y2K compliant.''

--ESTONIA

Electricity: Arvo Ott, department head at Estonian information systems -- a state body which will report all Y2K sector problems in the Baltic nation -- said tests carried out by state power company Eesti Energia show it is ready for the New Year. If external problems, mainly from the Russian power grid, occur, a pan-Baltic network will be started and the eastern grid contacts cutoff.

Telecoms: Ott said fixed-line monopoly Eesti Telefon has completed its checks of all essential equipment.

Water: Ott said water systems are ready and a day's reserve of water and water trucks are lined up should they be needed.

Aviation: No regular flights are being made at Tallinn airport on December 31/January 1. IATA has said air traffic control is Y2K ready.

--FINLAND

Electricity: A Finance Ministry report said the sector had tested systems, changing computers' time settings across the turn of the year. The national grid operator Fingrid had tested its systems and made a detailed contingency plan for the turn of the year. Fingrid will have 100 people working at the turn of the year.

Nuclear power plants have been tested successfully by changing system times to the year 2000, the Centre for Radiation Safety said, adding contingency system will also be used.

Telecoms: The biggest operator Sonera and companies in the Finnet alliance have been dealing with the 2000 problem since 1996. Sonera was to have reached 2000 compliance by end-November, but spokesman Jyrki Karasvirta says this did not ensure it would not be hurt by third party problems.

Water: Capital area water provider Helsingin Vesi started testing in 1998 and has already updated most of its most important systems.

``The last system to be updated has just been tested and everything went as planned,'' chief spokesman Ari Nevalainen said. ``We are confident that all of our systems will work.''

Aviation: The 2000 project is in its final stages and flight control and security is already millennium-compliant. National carrier Finnair has made all necessary changes by end-September.

--FRANCE

Electricity: State power utility Electricite de France (EdF) is running radio ads reassuring customers about service on December 31. EdF will triple its staff working on December 31, boost power reserves and use the European electricity network as a backup, it said in a statement.

Telecoms: France Telecom says it can handle a surge of up to 40 percent in calls on New Year's night. But Industry Secretary Christian Pierret said the network could become overloaded anyway just after midnight. Analysts say a boom in mobile phones makes exact predictions for usage difficult.

Water: A statement by utility group Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux said it had checked and updated its 17,000 water installations in France and planned to have reservoirs fuller than normal on December 31. Vivendi said its water treatment plants could be run manually if the computer systems went down.

Aviation: Air France said in a statement all its commercial and operational systems were ready. The only bugs found in its planes were in non-essential services, such as telephones paid by credit card. ``Air France has reduced considerably its services for the switch to 2000, demand is very weak,'' it said.

--GERMANY

Electricity: Heinz Klinger, president of the German Association of Electric Power Stations (VEW), said Germany would move into the new millennium without any power interruptions.

``The control technology of many power stations is not computer-powered,'' Klinger said. German systems were among the most reliable in the world and also had manual override.

Clemens Range, spokesman for the German Atomic Forum, said all German nuclear power stations had been tested and were ready for 2000. Extra security measures would also be taken on the night. ``Security is more important than profit,'' he said.

Telecoms: A spokesman for Germany's largest telecoms operator, Deutsche Telekom AG , Stephan Broszio, said the company had done a global inventory and expected no big surprises.

``The systems are 99.9 percent ready. Any problems that could arise would be in non-networked systems. In some end-user systems three to five years old there could be small problems, but a total collapse is most unlikely,'' he said.

Water: German Gas and Water Industry Federation spokesman Christof Rigert said: ``Water utilities, of which there are over 6,000 in Germany, are well prepared and all our systems have been independently checked.'' In the event of difficulties the systems could be hand-operated.

Y2K trial runs at Germany's biggest water utility, Berliner Wasserbetriebe, had been a success and the group would have an extra 250 employees on hand on New Year's Eve to make sure everything went smoothly, spokesman Dirk Brandau said.

Aviation: ``Lufthansa isn't expecting any problems. 48 Lufthansa planes will be in the air at the end of the year, most of them on long-haul flights, as well as some charter flights. But at midnight there will be no take-offs or landings,'' said Michael Lamberti, spokesman for Germany's flagship airline Lufthansa AG .

--GREECE

Electricity: Public Power Corporation spokesman George Kosmas said the company was ``100 percent ready. We have undertaken all trials independently. All our systems are compliant.''

Telecoms: Constantinos Tsopanoglou, head of OTE Telecom's (NYSE:OTE - news)(quote from Yahoo! UK & Ireland: OTEyq.L) Y2K committee said: ``We have been ready since the start of December. We have also made suitable arrangements to cope with any unforeseen problems.''

Mobile phone operator Panafon(quote from Yahoo! UK & Ireland: PANq.L) spokeswoman Eleana Yiabana said: ``We have run all tests with success. We don't expect any problems. We just have to wait and see.''

Mobile phone operator Telestet(NasdaqNM:STHLY - news) said in a statement: ``All systems of our network have been upgraded so that they are compatible the millennium bug.''

Water: The Greek Water Corporation (EYDAP) claims Y2K readiness since the autumn. ``There is no problem. We have done whatever we ought to have done,'' spokesman Ioannis Stevis said.

Aviation: Greece's civil aviation authority said that it was fully prepared. ``All air traffic control systems are 100 percent ready. Trial runs have been completed successfully. Everything went well. We have also taken contingency plans for all Greek airports that will be open on the night,'' said Constantine Kourounis, head of the civil aviation authority's Y2K committee.

--HUNGARY

Electricity: ``Hungarian electricity companies are prepared for the Y2K date changeover -- there will be power,'' said Andras Bely, IT manager of power wholesaler and national grid operator MVM Rt.

Telecoms: ``Matav's...systems can appropriately handle the problem of the date changeover...Thus no troubles are expected during the transition period to the year 2000,'' said Lajos Palvolgyi, Matav's Y2K project manager.

Matav is Hungary's dominant telecoms services provider.

Water: ``A significant part of the big water utility companies are French-owned, and their preparations are in line with French standards,'' said Imre Mojzes, government commissioner in charge of the date changeover.

``Most of the smaller, municipality-owned utility companies are at a technical level where they are not particularly computer-dependent.''

Aviation: ``The new air traffic control system started operating on December 10 and it is guaranteed that we will not depend on the date changeover,'' said Jozsef Orban, IT manager of national air traffic control operator LRI.

--IRELAND

Electricity: State-owned electricity supply group ESB does not expect any problems and its Y2K compliance programme has been completed, spokeswoman Jill Johnston said. Power generating and other systems are Y2K compliant. The company will monitor the position at midnight and issue a statement shortly afterwards on receiving the all-clear from maintenance crews.

Telecoms: eircom Plc (NYSE:EIR - news)(quote from Yahoo! UK & Ireland: EIR.L) spokeswoman Nuala Buttner said Ireland's largest telecoms group was completely prepared for the millennium with extensive contingency plans and standby crews in the event of problems. She said eircom would probably issue a statement after midnight.

Water: Dublin Corporation said water supply and control systems were Y2K compliant. The authority will monitor the situation over the weekend and has staff on standby.

Aviation: State-owned airline Aer Lingus [AERL.CN] is fully prepared and Y2K compliant, spokesman Declan Conroy said. With no flights planned between 2000 on December 31 and 0800 on January 1, the company says it regards the transition as a normal business day.

Ryanair Holdings Plc (quote from Yahoo! UK & Ireland: RYA.L)(NasdaqNM:RYAAY - news) also says it is fully Y2K compliant and has no flights over the key period. It expects Irish aviation authorities to issue statements on airlines' behalf but is considering holding media conference calls with management on New Year's Eve and January 1.

Airports operator Aer Rianta [AERI.CN] says it is fully Y2K compliant. Spokesman Flan Clune said a ``command centre'' would be set up from 1200 local on December 31 to monitor airports round the world. Statements will be issued if it is felt necessary.

Irish Aviation Authority spokesman Brian Gray said air traffic control was fully Y2K compliant. Only one flight is expected to land in Ireland during the Millennium transition. A statement is likely to be issued.

--ITALY

Electricity: Gianluigi Di Francesco, chief executive of Enel.it, the company in charge of overseeing information technology for electricity utility Enel , says Enel

finished upgrading its computer systems in November and has had them certified millennium compliant by an independent company, Milan-based Tesi.

``We are confident everything will go well. We completed preparations in November and we are now sleeping well at night,'' Di Francesco said.

Telecoms: Telecom Italia , Italy's former telephone monopoly which still manages most of the country's fixed-line network, has recently upgraded all its software and has declared it is fully compliant, said a spokeswoman for the government's Year 2000 Committee, adding all the cellphone operators -- Telecom Italia Mobile , Omnitel and Wind -- have also said they are millennium ready.

A spokeswoman for Telecom Italia, who declined to give her name, said the company had completed its millennium compliance plan and carried out all the necessary tests. She said Telecom had set up a crisis management unit to deal with any problems that might occur.

Water: There is no central water authority in Italy. Water supplies are managed by local utilities, which mostly use low level technologies. Most water supplies are not electronically controlled but depend solely on electricity-powered pumps. According to the most recent report by the Year 2000 Committee, the biggest utilities ACEA , AEM Turin and AEM Milan and national utility Enel have declared they are fully millennium compliant. Most other smaller companies are not expected to be affected by the millennium bug, said a spokeswoman for the Year 2000 Committee.

Aviation: Italy's civil aviation authority, ENAC, and air traffic control authority, ENAV, have both said they expect everything to work smoothly. ``We have made plans, we have issued documents. We are ready,'' said ENAV Chairman Luciano Mancini at the end of November.

A spokeswoman for the government's Year 2000 Committee said Italy's air space has been declared safe by the proper authorities. Flag airline Alitalia , Rome airport operator Aeroporti di Roma , Milan airport operator SEA have carried out the necessary procedures, while smaller airport operators will comply by the end of December, she said.

--LATVIA

Electricity: Latvenergo official Pavils Raudonis said the company had completed all preparations to avoid millennium computer bug related power outages.

DC Baltija, a pan-Baltic grid operator and joint-venture of Baltic power companies said all three countries' energy systems stood ready to provide uninterrupted electricity supply but that a contingency plan exists in case there was a need to sever links to Russian networks due to problems there.

Telecoms: Elgita Strazdina, the head of Lattelekom's Y2K project division, said the company has completed preparations to react to both internal and external problems, including power outages.

Water: Riga Water head engineer Valentins Kuchers saw no problems but said the firm's pump systems were entirely dependent on continuous electricity supplies.

Aviation: Latvian national carrier Air Baltic spokeswoman Vija Dzerve said the company has tested all of its equipment for the Y2K computer bug. The carrier will have no planes in the air at midnight December 31. Latvian air traffic control official Igor Nemahov said saw no Y2K related problems with technology having been upgraded and tests performed.

--PORTUGAL

Electricity: EDP's Y2K spokesman Henrique Oliveira said EDP expected supplies to be normal throughout the New Year period.

Telecoms: Spokesman for Portuguese Communications Institute Fernando Marante said: ``ICP followed all the tests by fixed and mobile operators...we don't expect problems.'' Portugal Telecom's Abilio Martins says tests went well and no problems are expected.

Water: Margarida Ruas at EPAL, Portugal's largest water company, said the company was well prepared. The system can also be operated manually so supplies are guaranteed. Government Y2K chief Jose Dias Coelho said the authorities lacked full information on the sewerage system but added there was no reason to expect problems.

Aviation: Air-traffic control company NAV said in a press announcement on November 25 that it was completely prepared for the transition. State carrier TAP said in a report it was optimistic on the success of its Y2K project.

--ROMANIA

Electricity: National electricity company Conel spokeswoman Elena Ratcu said Conel had sucessfully completed tests on all systems which could be affected by the millennium bug and had made all changes to prevent problems.

The Nuclear power company Nuclearelectrica, operator of the country's sole 750 MW nuclear reactor at Cernavoda, said ``no unexpected events'' had occurred after 00 was punched into one of two master computers at the plant and the reactor was switched on for 50 minutes.

Telecoms: International consultancy firm META Group Central, Eastern and Southern Europe had certified Romania's national fixed telephone operator Romtelecom as millennium compliant, a META Group statement said.

A special group set up by META would monitor Romtelecom's equipment between December 31 and January 2 to solve all possible problems in the landline network.

Aviation: Bucharest' Otopeni International Airport and Romania's national airline Tarom had conducted all Y2K tests for ground operations as well as for aircraft takeoff and landing procedures, Tarom public relations officer Horia Barna said.

A full report on the tests would be available by the end of the week.

--SLOVAKIA

Electricity: Slovak Electricity spokesman for Y2K compliance Viliam Ziman said: ``Slovenske Elektrarne made all necessary steps...according to the Ardes2k international methodology of U.S. Data Dimensions Inc, and with help from consultations by Deloitte&Touche.''

Telecoms: Slovak Telecom Y2k spokesman Otomar Ambroz said: ``We tested all our systems. We have audited all technical equipment. We have prepared emergency and alternative plans for any eventualities...We're fully prepared for Y2K.''

Water: Slovakia has no national, central water company. The National 2000 Centre will monitor this from all regions along with all other 2000 issues.

Aviation: Slovak Airport Authority Y2K spokesman Ivo Jasencak said: ``Everything is prepared and we don't expect any problems. If there are we also have crisis plans and we'll double staff our air traffic control.''

--SLOVENIA

Electricity: Chief executive of Slovenia's national distributor Eles Ivo Banic said no major millennium bug problems were expected.

Telecoms: The spokeswoman for national telecommunications operator Telekom, Simona Rodez Strucl, said no Y2K problems were expected, adding the information system and infrastructure were well prepared with live Y2K simulations successfully completed.

Water: ``Tests of water supply and waste water removal systems were successful and we expect no problems,'' said Peter Graseli, head of computer technology at the Ljubljana water supply company VO-KA, the country's large

-- Llama man (llama@cool.net), December 15, 1999

Answers

Llama man, much thanks for this and the other two postings above. Now, prepare to be flamed by the closed minded drones led by individuals like snooze button.

You know, it's all a grand cover up and none of what you posted is true, right? Who do these Reuters people think they are?

Thanks again

-- Bad Company (johnny@shootingstar.com), December 15, 1999.


They just can't handle the truth when it's in front of them. Disclaimer: The sources Reuters have used are real people:)

-- Llama man (llama@cool.net), December 15, 1999.

Amazing how all the real people in all these countries speak perfect English too, truthfully. It's all very reassuring.

-- SH (squirrel@huntr.com), December 15, 1999.

Didn't you know, Reuters has some of the best translators in the world. Like magic, very country is now Y2K ready. What great timing. Time to schedule a vacation.

Llama

-- Llama man (llama@cool.net), December 15, 1999.


BC:

Are you prepared for the new year. I thought earlier you said you were. What, are you a good ol' fashion "hippo crit".

Llama Man:

Your copy/paste is impressive. Phew..I'm glad everything is gonna be ok. I mean, why would the .gov bullshit the American people.

-- Familyman (prepare@home.com), December 15, 1999.



BC

Exactly, we have been told the truth all along but we're not used to that and therefore we have been preparing and spending lots of money on spam and stuff, all for nothing,

Llama

-- Llama man (llama@cool.net), December 15, 1999.


This is part of a whole series by Reuters. Latin America: Everything fine. Former Soviet Union: Everything fine. I haven't seen the one on Indonesia yet, but I'm sure everything is just fine there, too.

In fact, the only place that is expecting any "glitches" is the USA.

Simply unbelievable.

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), December 15, 1999.


Familyman, you deserve an honest answer. Sure, I've prepared for about 3 months of food, water and electrical problems. Since I am a family man, too, it would be foolish not to. But the point is this: I am not a hypocrite to point to the 3 threads here via Llama man---and two more up above---and state that they are probably quite credible since they eminate from Reuters.

In other words, I'll be happy to let my preps sit there and do nothing. I am not about to close my mind and call news reports 'spin' or contrived to keep the masses asleep.

You know, that logic is incredibly infantile. Why don't we just all hold our collective breath until the lights DO go out, problems DO arise and panic DOES set in.

That'll show 'em.

-- Bad Company (johnny@shootingstar.com), December 15, 1999.


BC -

Yeah, everything is okay. Just VW and Audi with that little parts problem so that a friend of mine in Germany is waiting = 6 = weeks for an ignition switch.

Nothing wrong with the new y2k compliant computer system they installed.

-- STFrancis (STFrancis@heaven.com), December 15, 1999.


Fran, tell me about problems with parts. I mean, you must be kidding. I have an '85 Mazda RX7 that I wanted to restore. I inquired about some parts. What a scream. I still don't know if it was the cost or the wait that was truly shocking.

Yeah, your point is well taken. Y2K is the blame for everything, after all.

Other than that, I hope you're not trying to intimate that your ingition switch has some sort of embedded chip in it that is date sensitive.

-- Bad Company (johnny@shootingstar.com), December 15, 1999.



Most impressive was the total lack of statements from IV&V parties. This is like Bill Clinton swearing he never had sex with that woman, and 50% of the poopulation taking it as gospel. AMEN, BROTHER, NO PROBLEMS!

Even more impressive was the, "We don't expect any problems. We'll just have to wait and see", statement by the phone company.

Ha ha ha ha ha, we don't expect any problems so we'll just have to wait and see? The stupidity is so vast and impenetrable that it defies imagination.

-- paul leblanc (bronyaur@gis.net), December 16, 1999.


My power went out 8 times in the last 48 hours...had to turn off the computer...guess Enel is still working out a few bugs..can't wait for their "fixed" system to kick in on 1/1/2000.

Yeah right......

-- Ynott (Ynott@incorruptible.com), December 16, 1999.


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